Aim to be A Fruitful Vine

UV 508/10,000 Genesis 49 v 22 A Fruitful Vine Gen 49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The Lord expects every believer in Him and His Word to be a fruitful vine bearing His seed. Indeed, we are each a fruitful bough or vine that is watered from the well of God’s Word. We will not be restricted by any boundaries or barriers, national, cultural, psychological, social, racial or economic. We will have no limiting factors that will cramp our style, our functioning or our impact. Our branches or our faith in action in different dimensions of life will break all moulds of conditioning and disbelief to exceed all expectations. Even our branches should dip into the water of God’s word. They must point upward to the glory of God. In due course, they will bend downward, heavy with different kinds of fruit. There is a common saying that people throw stones only at a fruit-filled tree in order to knock down the fruit. Similarly, when we are fruitful like Joseph we will invite the jealous attention of even our brothers and sisters, of colleagues and peers. Accusations, insinuations and insults might be hurled at us. Conspiracies and plots will be hatched for our downfall. But, in every situation we will be shielded as the Lord is with us even as He was with Joseph when his brothers threw him into a pit, sold him into slavery, tempted and seduced and thrown into prison. Every arrow shot at him by the archers catapulted him into a new higher orbit till he reached God’s intended position of Prime Minister of Egypt. His destiny was fulfilled :all the other stars bowed to his star, all the other sheaves of wheat bowed to his. It was the divine favour or grace of God that won Joseph favour all round, with his father Jacob, with Potiphar the Egyptian master who bought him as a slave, with the prison overseer, with fellow prisoners and finally with Pharoah himself. He feared God and God alone and determined to steer clear of unrighteousness, temptations and bitterness. He however entertained godly or God-given ambition. We too, need not fear those above us or below us or equal to us in worldly position or status. What any of them think for bad against us, God will turn to good. He will make our foes, rivals or adversaries footstools for our rise. But, like Joseph we must not harbour any ill will or resentment or bitterness or unforgiveness against any of them but thank God for them and bless them in our souls. In the past 25 years as a senior police officer, this has been my experience: many powerful archers have fired their arrows at me but the Lord has delivered me, blessed, honoured and multiplied me. Today, the Lord calls me “ Joseph, my fruitful vine.” Prateep V Philip